Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Coffee and Provocation



The King is Stupid and Ugly, But the Dog is Cool
Mechanic Thanakorn Siripaiboon is facing a potential 37 years in jail for allegedly insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, by “liking” a humorous photoshopped photo of the King’s DOG.

A Whiter Shade of Pale?
The state of Maine has more black bears than black people? True!  About 30,000 as compared to about 15,000. Alaska also has more black bears than black people, as does Wyoming and Idaho.

This is Why the World Does Not Understand Us
The FAA says you have to register your toy drone with them before February 19, 2016 or face civil penalties up to $27,500, and criminal penalties up to $250,000 and up to three years in jail. But guns? Guns that actually kill thousands of people a year? No need to register those!  The good news is that my drone (still in the box as it's the dog's Christmas present to me) will not have to be registered, as it's under the minimum weight. Here's a make and model guide from Wired for those wondering if they will have to register their drone with The Man.

Terror in the Lunch Room?
Vending machines kill more people every year than sharks do? True.

Border Collies Lead the Way
Next year, the ABCA (American Border Collie Assn) will begin listing all Border Collie breeders who register more than 30 dogs per calendar year on the ABCA website. The following statement will appear in conjunction with the list: "The ABCA does not endorse high volume breeders. The main purpose of the ABCA is to protect and promote the working Border Collie. Good working Border Collie breeders are not high volume Breeders. It is the intent of the ABCA to encourage Breeders to use livestock working ability as the primary criteria to select potential breeding stock. This is very difficult to do when breeding at a high volume rate. For further information on this topic please see ABCA's publication; Code of Ethics and Best Practices." (Thanks Donald!)

Shrimp and Slavery
Hiding in the "all you can  eat" shrimp buffet is the misery of a lifetime of slavery in Thailand. Wal-Mart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Dollar General, Petco, Red Lobster, and Olive Garden sales are all implicated

If They Only Had Tinder
Pocahontas and William Shakespeare died less than a year apart, and less than 150 miles away from each other? True!

Go in Peace
The Monks of New Skete are presenting a ForceFree Method E-Collar Workshop.

Cures You or Kills You?
An analysis of 26 common Chinese traditional medicines sold in Australia found they contain Viagra, rat poison, endangered animals, heavy metals, and common prescription medicines ranging from stimulants to steroids and analgesics.

On the Edge of a Transportation Revolution?
From Atlantic: "Self-driving cars promise to create a new kind of leisure, offering passengers additional time for reading books, writing email, knitting, practicing an instrument, cracking open a beer, taking a catnap, and any number of other diversions. Peope who are unable to drive themselves could experience a new kind of independence. And self-driving cars could re-contextualize land-use on massive scales. In this imagined mobility utopia, drone trucks would haul packages across the country and no human would have to circle a city block in search of a parking spot. If self-driving vehicles deliver on their promises, they will save millions of lives over the course of a few decades, destroy and create entire industries, and fundamentally change the human relationship with space and time.”


Thanks For the Coffee!  A special shout out to Mary P., Elisabeth W., Karen J., Walt D. and Steve B. for providing me with the the magical South American Marching Water that is fueling me this week.


 Want to buy me a coffee? It's the magical fuel that makes this blog go.

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